By the Window
by Future Starkid Member
Summary: "I know." She whispered. "I know. So I don't know why I came up here. I knew you'd come by. Maybe I wanted to be found. I don't know anymore." She still hadn't looked at him. "Well I found you. So what's wrong?" he asked. She shrugged. "Nothing." He sighed. "Minerva, if it were nothing, you wouldn't be here." T for mild language. Please review! MMSS


_Just a short little oneshot that came to me earlier. Please review!_

_Disclaimer: I've never owned Harry Potter, but if I did, these two would be cannon._

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He hated patrol.

Wandering around the entire school in the early morning hours when he could be sleeping was not his favorite pastime.

The only good thing that came of it was when he caught Gryffindors out of bed and could take away points. Also that fact that he was alone to his thoughts.

His thoughts of a certain Deputy Headmistress…

He ascended that last staircase of the North Tower and passed by the trap door that led to Trelawney's room. He never quite understood the purpose of patrolling up here. No one ever came up here because no one could stand Trelawney.

'_Well, at least, no one used to come up here.'_ He thought. For at the end of the hall, he could see a shape sitting by the window on the windowsill, looking out at the grounds.

He smirked, figuring it was a Gryffindor. He silently stalked toward the figure. He stopped when he was a few steps away.

It was Minerva.

She had to know he was there. Her cat like senses would've known he was there even before he came up the stairs.

He studied her face. Her smooth pale skin looked like delicate porcelain in the moonlight and her long black hair was loose and hanging at her waist with a slight natural wave to it that he was sure no one she had.

Her beautiful green-gold eyes that were normally shining with the slightest hint of amusement that no one but him could see; looked empty.

He took in her posture then. Her knees were brought up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them. Her shoulders were loose. Her head was resting against the wall and slightly on the window itself.

He finally noticed that she had trails of dried tear stains on her cheeks. She had been crying, but she must have run out of tears.

It was then that she spoke. "Hello." Her voice sounded broken. "I thought your patrol ended an hour ago."

He knew she was trying to get him to leave. She made the patrol schedule so she very well knew that his shift had only just started an hour ago.

"It just started Minerva." He said softly. He knew something was wrong, and he wasn't going to push her.

"I know." She whispered. "I know. So I don't know why I came up here. I knew you'd come by. Maybe I wanted to be found. I don't know anymore." She still hadn't looked at him.

"Well I found you. So what's wrong?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Nothing."

He sighed. "Minerva, if it were nothing, you wouldn't be here."

She moved her gaze to the stars. She took a deep breath. "My favorite constellation would have to be Roux." She commented.

He'd never heard of it but instead of asking, he waited for her to continue.

"She fell in love. She was only a merchant's daughter, nothing special. Her father sold red cloth. A man came by one day and placed a large order. While her father was in the back getting it all, the man and Roux talked. He told her he would come back later that night. And he did. They spent many nights in the next few months talking into the early hours of the morning. They quickly found themselves falling in love, but neither would admit it."

He still wasn't sure why she was bringing this up. Surely she didn't feel the same way…

"This man's father however, could tell. He followed them one night and saw them just sitting and talking and could tell they were in love. He went to the merchant and told him what was going on. That same night, Roux and the man were attacked by thieves, and Roux was killed. Heartbroken, the man whispered that someday they would be together again. After that night, the man noticed a new star, and it would shine brighter than any other star in the sky."

She still hadn't looked at him. The tears had started making trails down her cheeks again.

"For a year he had to live without Roux. He became nocturnal, just so he could see her. He still talked, even if she couldn't talk back. But he knew she was listening. One morning, his father came out onto the front step to find his son slumped on the ground, eyes closed, a peaceful smile on his face. His father knew he had died of the broken heart that should've claimed him a year ago. That night, his father looked to the sky. He saw two stars, right next to each other, and he knew that his son and his love had been reunited at last. But they never shared their feelings. Even if they were together in the sky, stars have no use for words."

He could tell she was done. "So what's the point of the story?" he asked.

"My mother always said that it was to never fall in love. Only marry for money. Nothing good can come from love." She said casually. Her voice sounded even more broken than before. "But my father said it was about telling the one you love that you love them, before it's too late."

He stayed silent. He wasn't quite sure what to say. The tears had stopped again.

"I've come here every night to think and I thought that just last week I was finally better. But then tonight…I just couldn't stay in my rooms anymore. I felt like I was suffocating..." She trailed.

Suddenly, it dawned on him. She had told this story because she found herself in this situation. The situation of being in love but not sure if she should tell whoever it was.

And he was pretty sure that it was him, for he himself had identified closely with her story.

They had been meeting the past few months in either of their rooms and had played chess into the early hours of the morning until just recently when she had started declining his invitations.

"Minerva what are you trying to say?" he asked. He had to be sure.

"Are you really that stupid?" Finally she took her eyes from the window and looked at him incredulously. "I make up some bullshit story to basically tell you why I'm up here and you still don't get it? I love you, Severus! I'm in love with you!" The tears were back and were streaming freely down her beautiful face. She looked away from him and down at her finger nails.

"Minerva—" He started.

"Don't. Don't say anything. Please. For my sanity. I don't want to know if you don't love me, so I won't even ask if you do." She slid from the ledge onto the floor. It was then he noticed that she was barefoot. "Goodnight, Severus." She whispered. He almost hadn't heard her.

"Minerva, wait." He realized he had been sitting on the windowsill as well when he jumped up and caught her wrist.

"I told you I didn't want to hear it." She said, defeated.

"Then I won't say it." He said.

He took a step toward her and pulled her into his arms. She looked up at him questioningly, warily, but also mixed with a small tinge of hope. He gently cupped her face with his hands as he brought his lips to hers.

Almost immediately, she responded.

When the broke apart for air, they were both smiling. He looked down at her. "So about that constellation story…was it really real or is it bullshit, as you say?"

She smirked and tilted her in mock thought. "The first part is real."

"And what about the second? Where they never say anything about their love and then die?" He asked, a smile dancing on the corners of his mouth.

She grinned. "Bullshit. Definitely bullshit."


End file.
